(Photo courtesy of thundafunda.com)

“You ever wonder why animals at the zoo seem to have a little edge on them? The tiger never quite looks totally happy. The monkeys seem to have a lot on their minds. I think that’s because they know that they aren’t living out their full potential. I’ve been to Africa. Several times.  I’ve seen lions running free in Africa. And compared to the ones in the San Diego Zoo, there is a different bounce in their step. More cockiness in their roar. The difference? The lion in the zoo is just existing; the one in the wild is living. the animal in the jungle lives out the purpose he was created for. He reigns over his dominion.” – Kirk Franklin, “The Blueprint”

Which lion are you? Are you a “Zoo Lion”, that works the regular 9-5 just because it pays the bills and gets you by from day-to-day. Are you like the “Zoo Lion” who is content with being in the zoo because he is guaranteed three square meals a day and a warm place to lay his head at night. Do you wake up (after hitting the snooze button 20 times) and go to work everyday knowing that, you will be doing the same old job… day…. after day…after day. The funny thing about “Zoo Lions” is that, even tho they might get into the routine of working at a “job”, they always wish and hope for that something more. They have that feeling deep down in their heart of hearts that this is not what is meant for them, That they have a higher “calling”.

“Understanding the difference between having a job and having a calling. You see, a job doesn’t’ create in you a burning sense of purpose, a motivation for living. It doesn’t fire you up in the morning as you look forward to the day; it doesn’t make you believe that something special will happen today because you were created for that something. No, a job doesn’t do that for your soul. A job just means a PAY CHECK…But a CALLING speaks to that dream you had as a little kid, when you were drawing pictures or fixing things around the house with the toy tools you got for Christmas. It fulfills you like nothing else in the world.” – Kirk Franklin, “The Blueprint”

When you are the “King of the Jungle”, a lion in the wild, you are fulfilling your purpose and playing your part in this great thing we call life. Work at your “calling” not at a “job”. Yes, fulfilling your “calling” is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Times will get hard and you might not know how a bill will be paid for that month but you will be a happier and greater person for it. It is rough in the beginning but it will get better in the long run!

A lion in the wild wakes up everyday and hunts for his food, that is what he lives for, that is his passion. Yes, it probably is a pain in the ass… to have to hunt down his prey and go through the whole process of the hunt and it is rough. He might not even catch anything his first few tries but this is his passion so it is a pleasure and challenge to keep going. He hunts and hunts and hunts and…hunts, then one day he is successful and catches the prize that he has been chasing for hours and hours even could have been days. He is joyed, he can lay his head down at night knowing that he has fulfilled his “calling” and satisfied his passion… he goes to sleep waiting to see what special adventure tomorrow is going to bring and smiles because this is what he loves and lives for. That moment of accomplishment, means more to him then any scrape of meat the zookeeper can throw in the “Zoo lions” cage.

“What’s the use of having a Range Rover if you hate waking up every day to go to a job you can’t stand just to pay for it?” – Kirk Franklin, “The Blueprint”

I AM A “ZOO LION” WORKING AT BECOMING FREE TO ROAM WILD AND ONE DAY EVENTUALLY, BECOME “THE KING OF THE JUNGLE”!

What kind of lion are you?